The simplest cabbage stir-fry imaginable

Sorry to burst the bubbles of all the ladies out there who have become quite taken with Brother Charlie through the adventures of Tummy, I know he can be quite a handsome lad when he's not making all those nasty faces, but he does have a betrothed, a nice young lady who I enjoy calling Webbie Mouse. Webbie Mouse is of Taiwan descent and so naturally she cooks Taiwanese food... or is it Chinese food? Probably both. Brother Charlie says she can make one mean stir-fry, and so I asked Webbie Mouse for a very simple cabbage recipe for a head of cabbage that's been sitting in my refrigerator for almost a week. She gave me a cabbage stir-fry recipe, and it really is the simplest cabbage stir-fry recipe imaginable. I tried it last night and it was pretty fantastic considering the only thing in it is cabbage, so if you happen to have a whole or even half a cabbage head you don't know what to do with, this is a very good way to use it.

1. In a wok or large deep heavy bottomed pan or skillet heat up the vegetable oil on med-high heat.

2. When the skillet and oil are nice and hot dump all of the cabbage into the pan, it will sizzle- this is a good sign as it means the pan and the oil are heated to the proper temperature. Add the red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and with a pair of tongs toss the cabbage around as best you can to coat with oil and mix the spices. Leave to wilt down for about 2-3 minutes tossing every now and then to check the wilting happening on the bottom of the pan.

3. When the cabbage has reduced by half in volume (about 2-3 minutes), this does not necessarily mean that half the cabbage is wilted but that the amount of cabbage in the pan is roughly half the size, for me the majority of the cabbage was not wilted but only just beginning to wilt. At this point add 2/3 cup of water and top the pan with a lid, let sit for about 2-3 minutes to steam and wilt down further.

4. When you see that the majority of the Cabbage has wilted and there is very little water left at the bottom of the pan (about 2-3 minutes) it is time to take off the lid. Add the minced or squished garlic straight onto the cabbage and toss to mix the cabbage so that the garlic is distributed as evenly as possible.

5. Keep heating the cabbage until all is wilted to your desired texture. I like my cabbage stir-fry wilted but still with a slight bite- after adding the garlic and tossing I heated for a further 1-minute only before taking it off the heat.

6. Taste to season.

The cabbage stir-fry only contains cabbage and a squish of a couple cloves of garlic, thus the taste is rather simple, Tummy found it rather enjoyable to the palate because of the simplicity. This cabbage stir-fry is perfect as a side-dish for any deep flavored red-meat entree and is wonderful to eat cold as well!

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I live in LA & spend way too much time fulfilling my gastro needs. I love to eat and with good company. Always remember the dining experience is not just about eating but the atmosphere, company and conversation too.

One of my goals for 2013 is to eat out less AND to cook at home more by spicing up my kitchen life, this means cooking foods that I don't usually. Oh this will be fun!